


Night at the North Pole

by Isolus_girl



Series: First Christmas [2]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:00:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28260555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isolus_girl/pseuds/Isolus_girl
Summary: An extended version of Chapter 16 of First Christmas. Works as a standalone if you haven't read that.Shortly after The Christmas Invasion the Tenth Doctor takes Rose for a night at the North Pole.
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Series: First Christmas [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2070249
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	Night at the North Pole

**Author's Note:**

  * For [more1weasley](https://archiveofourown.org/users/more1weasley/gifts).



> My Christmas present for the lovely [more1weasley](https://archiveofourown.org/users/more1weasley/works)
> 
> This is a real place, but I have taken liberties with it.

The Doctor had been planning this for the last few days. Twice he decided he wasn’t going to do it and twice he talked himself back into it. The gift debacle with Jackie had left him completely unsure of himself. Was this one of those occasions where he thought he was doing something nice, but hadn’t thought it through properly? 

Eventually, he decided he had nothing to lose by doing it. This was Rose, the worst that could happen is that she’d laugh at him, or explain why he had got it wrong. He wanted this to be perfect though, more perfect than the snowglobe, something completely him. Not so much a present (although it could be considered such) but a message. A message about their future. 

It was not without some small hesitation therefore that he asked Rose to join him for a short trip in the TARDIS. Surprised, but not unhappy, she agreed. The two of them disappeared into the TARDIS with promises of a speedy return. 

Seconds after the doors shut the Doctor had them in the vortex, with strict instructions to Rose about what to wear - the warmest of warm clothes. Nothing for fashion reasons, it has to be purely practical. The Doctor even implied he was getting changed for once. He was purposefully keeping it vague, wanting to surprise her with their final destination. 

When she arrived back in the console room, she had indeed followed his advice, but she was glaring at him.

“This had better be worth it!” She threatened without sincerity. The Doctor just laughed. 

“Rose Tyler, you wanted Christmas, I give you- the North Pole!” flinging the doors open for dramatic effect. 

Outside it was white. It was so bright it was almost blinding. Eventually their eyes adjusted to the light and they could see the thick piles of snow as far as the eye could see. 

“Wow!” He heard Rose breathe next to him. She was right, it was immensely beautiful, crisp and clear, even if the cold blowing through the doors was biting. Even with his superior biology he needed to dress appropriately for these conditions to avoid getting frostbite. He even had a small backpack, but refused to be drawn on why he needed it. 

Grabbing her hand in his, he pulled her gently in front of her, allowing her to take those first steps outside, just as she had done in Cardiff so long ago. Just like before she carefully stepped out, forming a perfect footprint. Together, they moved forwards across the snow. It was slow going, the thick snow was hard to walk in.

The silence was also a new experience for Rose, although not for him. It was beautiful in its own way. There were so few places on planet Earth where you can experience true silence, it was almost humbling to be able to hear it. 

“Are you ready for your surprise?” He quizzed her as they walked, the TARDIS becoming just a faint blue blob in the distance. 

“I thought this was my surprise,” she panted by way of reply. “The North Pole?”

“That’s just the first part of it.”

She grinned and allowed him to lead her onwards. They didn’t have proper trekking gear, but they were adequately protected against the cold. The temperature here goes as low as minus 30 degrees, making it vital for them to have dressed appropriately. Their destination was not far away now though so he uttered a few words of encouragement and continued to press forwards. 

As they got closer, they began to see the speck of colour on the horizon turn into an outline of a figure. The outline gradually became clearer and clearer until they could make out that it was in fact a woman standing there. 

“Hello, you must be John Smith, lovely to finally meet you!”she shook his hand enthusiastically and continued, “I must say, you are the most cryptic customer we have ever had. You must be Mrs Smith, how lovely to meet you, I hope you both had a smooth journey.” 

With that she led on, leaving the Doctor and Rose gaping after her. Someone who could talk more than the Doctor, that really was impressive. 

As they followed the woman (the Doctor suddenly realised she hadn’t formally introduced herself, but remembered she signed her name as Hilary), Rose mouthed ‘Mrs Smith?’ at the Doctor, who attempted to shrug his shoulders, but with all the layers it was more of a twitch. Instead, he shook his head and filled her in about the woman’s name. Rose looked really excited and he mentally congratulated himself on a job well done. 

Hilary led them to what looked like a large glass conservatory. As she let them inside and turned the lights on, it looked just like a cross between a studio flat and a luxury hotel room, apart from the glass surroundings. A double bed, wooden furniture forming a kitchen area and a door which she assumed led to a bathroom. Through the windows they could clearly see the endless snow surrounding them. 

With talk about security, chef services and a wilderness guide, she left them in peace. As soon as she closed the door behind her, the Doctor turned to face Rose properly and gauge her reaction. 

“So, what do you think?” He asked when she didn’t say anything. 

“I think it’s beautiful and incredible and is this really ours for the night?”

“Yep. This place is utterly private as well. Not as though you’re going to get anyone just ‘passing by’ on the North Pole.”

“When are we?” 

“Only 15 years in your future. 2020, rubbish year, but a company did open the first hotel in the North Pole. It’s only open for one month of the year and is very exclusive, although I guess with a private helicopter being the usual method of arrival it would be.”

Rose shook her head in amazement, but a grin began to form as she took in her surroundings once more. 

“I can’t believe I’m actually going to stay at the North Pole!” She exclaimed, but then her face fell. “I haven’t got any of my stuff.”

“First of all, luxury hotel, you’ll be amazed at what they provide. Second of all…” he pulled the backpack off for the first time and opened it. “Backpack is bigger on the inside, I packed anything you might need while you were getting changed.” 

He was surprised, but not displeased when she launched herself at him, kissing his cheek. 

The Doctor made them a mug of tea each and they settled on the bed, content to watch the night draw in. Days were much shorter here, but the sunset was beautiful to watch, oranges and pinks filling the sky, reflecting off the snow. Sometimes they talked, sometimes they just sat and watched. The silence was as comfortable as the conversation and the hours passed at a steady pace. 

As night drew in, they still found themselves captivated by the view outside, even as the dark meant their field of vision got less and less. With no natural light, eventually all they could see was the penetrating darkness. With glass surroundings they continued to look outside as they talked, laughing over fond memories, recounting stories of adventures past. 

They were just considering settling down for the night when, out of the darkness, a vibrant green light appeared, shortly followed by purples, pinks and blues. Waves of colour filling the sky, spreading outwards, onwards. Rose grabbed his hand and gasped, but neither of them took their eyes off the sight in front of them. The variety of colours, the wide expanse in front of them, even the brightness was more than any picture could do credit for. There was something so pure and magical that just couldn’t be described. 

Even as the best of the lights died down, the colours shooting across the sky, winding their way towards something, anything, were just as breathtaking. The two of them were silent for a long time once they finally finished and the darkness returned. 

It was Rose who broke the silence, “did you know that was going to happen?” 

“Well I used the TARDIS to calculate the date with the most likely possibility of having a showing, but short of coming and testing each night I couldn’t know for certain.”

“That was magical. This is incredible. I never thought I’d get to see things like this, experience things like this. I just…. thank you.”

“Thank you Rose. I need someone to share it all with or it is meaningless. You came into my life like those lights,” he sighed and rubbed his hands through his hair, “I know I’m a new man, but you’ve accepted me again and this was my way of saying thank you. For everything.” 

The unsaid words hung in the air and he hoped that Rose would catch them, the things he couldn’t say, might never be able to say. The way she had helped him begin to heal, to become a better man. He desperately hoped she knew how she had made him a better man. 

Rose had tears in her eyes and he gently wiped them away. 

“No crying. This is supposed to be happy,” he reminded her. 

“I’ve never been this happy.” Rose gave him a watery smile. “I-I’m so glad I met you.”

The shared memory made them both smile. 

“Remember Charles Dickens!” The Doctor exclaimed, purposefully changing the subject. Too much emotion would be the undoing of him, there was so much he still needed to work through and tonight was not the night to do that, tonight was a night for creating new, special memories in a place most people would never get to see. Just the two of them, as it should be. 

They had both been sat shoulder to shoulder, hands tightly clasped, but as though by mutual understanding, the Doctor raised his arm and Rose snuggled in tightly. The stars were about the clearest and the brightest you could see here on Earth, no light pollution at all now the lights were off in their room. It was brighter than most people thought it would be, but he still wouldn’t like to even walk around the room with just this much light, let alone leave the safety of it. 

As they lay, just taking in the silence he could feel Rose’s breathing even out. He didn’t mind, it wasn’t the first time Rose had slept on him, even before he regenerated. Rose had a habit of sleeping when she was warm and cozy. Many a jail cell had she snuggled up to him, complaining about the bed and promptly nodded off. 

The night passed at a steady pace. It wasn’t time in his sleep cycle for him to sleep, but he was content to watch the stars and to watch Rose sleep. He was the most comfortable he had been in a long time, which considering he was at the North Pole was quite something. 

When morning started to break across the horizon he gently shook Rose awake. 

“You’re going to want to see this,” he pointed out when she groaned. 

Still too asleep to form a sentence, she stared, mesmerised at the sight that was playing out across the horizon. Just like the sunset, the oranges and pinks glinted off the snow, making it look as though the snow were covered with precious tiny gems. As the sun rose in the sky the reach of the light spread out, reaching into the darkness, spreading across the snow, across the horizon. 

“Wow,” he heard Rose breath. He couldn’t bring himself to take his eyes off it, but squeezed her gently in agreement. Somehow the sight had rendered them both speechless, quite an achievement in this regeneration. 

Eventually, the sun reached a static point in the sky and they both managed to tear their eyes away from it. 

“Morning,” he offered sheepishly, a bit embarrassed at having woken her up. 

“Morning,” she grinned up at him, no trace of annoyance on her face. “Thank you. That was one of the most amazing nights of my life and an incredible way to wake up.”

“Well i do have quite the reputation!” he teased. She nudged him and he grunted. 

“That’s not what I meant and you know it!”

“It was pretty incredible though wasn’t it?” They both laughed and he pressed a kiss to her hair. “Go on, use the bathroom. We paid enough for it!” 

She gaped at him for a moment, “You paid for this?”

“Well only on a technicality. Exchange rate for Gorian chips is really impressive.” she laughed nervously, not sure whether to take him seriously or not, obviously deciding she didn’t want to know and heading into the shower as he had suggested. 

He could hear Rose’s squeal of delight as she turned the shower on. She had obviously found the rainforest shower. He might even take a turn when she had finished. 

Rose spent a long time in the shower, while he gazed contentedly out of the window. It really was one of the most beautiful places he had ever been. How lucky was he to be able to share it with Rose? 

When she appeared, she was dressed in a jumper and some walking trousers, but her hair was wet and down. He watched a trickle of water run down the side of her face. Watching her here, smiling and relaxed, he thought it was the most beautiful he had ever seen her. For a moment he wished he could draw, to capture this moment forever. Then he decided to do the next best thing, bounded over and licked the droplet away. Rose looked surprised, but not displeased. 

“What was that for?” 

“I was just thinking how beautiful you are.” 

“I think you need a cold shower,” the Doctor laughed, but headed into the bathroom anyway, stealing a quick kiss from Rose before he did. It would be a shame not to use that lovely shower. 

To his surprise, when he turned it on, there was a panel on the side that shone with different coloured lights. It made him feel a little bit like he was in a disco, but the shower beating on his back was so pleasant he closed his eyes and forgot about the lights. 

He probably spent just as long as Rose had in the shower, but it didn’t take him long to dry off and dress. Rose had obviously dried her hair whilst he was in the shower, because she looked as ready as he did. 

Somehow, their incredible night had come to an end before either of them realised it. They had the option of staying a further few nights in a village nearby, but both the Doctor and Rose were happy with the night they had had. Potentially at a later date they would do the night in the village from the comfort of the TARDIS. 

The Doctor packed their stuff back in his backpack and they both smiled at each other. Hand in hand, they walked back through the fresh snow to the little blue box that was home. 


End file.
